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Captain Adam “Manik” Runge and the rest of the RCAF CF-18 Demo Team are ready for the 2014 season with today’s announcement of the year’s schedule. Right now it looks like I get to see the Hornet at least 3 times – CFB Borden, London and Waterloo.

Of particular interest is that the team will not be appearing at this year’s Canadian International Air Show at the CNE in Toronto because they’ll be appearing in, wait for it, Switzerland! What a road trip. After that they head off to Belgium before returning to complete the season in California. A very different schedule than we’re used to.

Being a volunteer at an air show is hard work but it has more than its share of perks. The obvious one is that you’re directly involved with an event that attracts thousands of visitors to see and hear fantastic flying and static aircraft. Equally, if not more valuable, is the friendships that develop. Volunteers are good people. Aviation volunteers are GREAT people! A shared passion that keeps everyone smiling through the sun (or rain), heat, crowds, noise and the million others things that can and invariably will go wrong.

I’ve been helping out at the Waterloo Air Show for a few years now and one of the best perks is the mid-winter social put on by the organizers to acknowledge the volunteers and give us an opportunity to forget about the cold and snow for a few hours and talk about past shows and the one to come. Friday night I braved some crappy driving conditions to join the group at the Flite Line Services hangar at Waterloo International Airport. A great time was had by all!